The Bushwacker drink is sort of a mashup of a chocolate milkshake and piña colada! This boozy frozen cocktail stars Kahlua and creme de cacao.
Right here’s a frozen cocktail that can blow your thoughts with its creamy, chocolaty taste: the Bushwacker drink! It’s equal elements refreshing and wealthy—primarily a mashup of a chocolate milkshake and piña colada.
Why we love this recipe: The Bushwacker is lusciously clean with notes of chocolate, espresso and vanilla. It’s good for sipping poolside as a summer season cocktail, or as a dessert drink any time you’re dreaming of solar. Right here’s every part it’s essential to know to make it!
Bushwacker cocktail elements
The Bushwacker is a frozen cocktail made with rum, Kahlua, creme de cacao, cream of coconut, and milk, recognized for its creamy texture, candy taste, and boozy kick. Invented within the 1970’s in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, it has since change into well-liked in Florida and the American South. What’s in a Bushwacker? This frozen boozy milkshake depends on these elements blended to perfection:
- Rum: Darkish rum is frequent in a Bushwacker, however you need to use aged or white rum. We like this drink with aged rum (golden or añejo), as a result of it has refined taste notes of vanilla, coconut, and caramel.
- Kahlua: Kahlua is a espresso liqueur that’s made in Mexico. You should use different kinds of espresso liqueur like Tia Maria.
- Creme de cacao: This chocolate liqueur carries the milkshake taste.
- Cream of coconut: Be sure to purchase cream of coconut, a sweetened syrup for drinks (not coconut cream, which is a distinct product).
- Milk and ice: Any sort of milk works right here, from 2% to entire to non-dairy milk like oat milk or almond milk. Mix every part with ice to make the Bushwacker!
The story behind the title?
The Bushwacker was invented on the Ship’s Retailer Pub in St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands in 1975 as a tropical spin on the White Russian by bartender Angie Conigliaro and supervisor Tom Brokamp. Apparently they named it after a visitor’s canine, an Afghan hound named Bushwack!
Tips on how to make a Bushwacker drink: step-by-step
When you’ve bought your specialty liquors, mixing up the Bushwacker drink is a breeze! Right here’s what to do (or leap to the total recipe):
- Step 1: Place 2 ounces (¼ cup) every rum, Kahlua, creme de cacao, cream of coconut, and a couple of% milk in a blender. Add 3 cups ice and mix.
- Step 2: Pour right into a glass and garnish with a straw. Garnish with a maraschino cherry for a traditional presentation. The drink tends to separate, which is regular: simply stir it up along with your straw whereas consuming!
Professional tip: There’s no dairy in any of the liqueurs in a Bushwacker drink, so it’s straightforward to make it a dairy free or vegan cocktail utilizing oat milk.
What’s creme de cacao?
Regardless of what you may assume, creme de cacao just isn’t creamy or made with dairy! This particular liqueur is among the oldest round. Right here’s extra about it:
- Creme de cacao is a chocolate liqueur, obtainable in each white and darkish varieties. It’s presumably one of many first alcoholic drinks, made within the 1600’s by monks after cocoa beans had been introduced again to Europe from America (supply). The unique Bushwacker had darkish creme de cacao, however white is less complicated to seek out and what we name for right here.
- What does creme de cacao style like? White creme de cacao tastes like milk chocolate with notes of vanilla. The darkvariety tastes richer with darkish chocolate notes.
- Is it value shopping for? Sure, in the event you like dessert drinks! Use it to make creme de cacao drinks just like the Brandy Alexander, Chocolate Martini, or Grasshopper.
Search for cream of coconut
One other necessary ingredient within the Bushwacker drink: cream of coconut! In case you learn one factor on this article, be aware this: Purchase cream of coconut, not coconut cream! What’s the distinction? Right here’s what to learn about cream of coconut vs coconut cream:
- Cream of coconut is a sweetened syrup for drinks, made with coconut cream and sugar. It’s bought in useful squeeze bottles (a well-liked model is Coco Actual). Cream of coconut is straightforward to seek out on-line or at liquor shops. Deplete leftovers in coconut cocktails just like the Piña Colada, Chi Chi, Painkiller, or Coconut Martini.
- Coconut cream is unsweetened, very thick, and has a robust coconut taste. It’s sometimes bought in cans subsequent to the coconut milk. Coconut cream is constituted of chilling coconut milk after which skimming off the layer of cream that floats to the highest. Keep away from utilizing it in cocktails!
Professional tip: In case you by chance purchase coconut cream, you may nonetheless save your Bushwhacker drink! Use 1 oz coconut cream and 1 oz easy syrup rather than the two oz cream of coconut.
Use Kahlua or any espresso liqueur
The final ingredient of be aware within the Bushwacker drink is Kahlua, a well-liked model of espresso liqueur. Right here’s extra about it:
Extra candy & frozen drinks
The Bushwacker is one in a household of candy cocktails and frozen alcoholic drinks. Listed below are a couple of associated drinks you may get pleasure from:
Often requested questions
This frozen cocktail is a tropical mix of rum, espresso liqueur, cream of coconut, darkish crème de cacao, and cream or milk. It’s recognized for its creamy texture, candy taste profile, and boozy kick.
Usually, it’s not a very sturdy drink, however it packs sufficient alcohol content material to be loved responsibly.
The dominant flavors are chocolate and coconut, with hints of espresso and rum. The creaminess provides an expensive mouthfeel, and the general style is good and refreshing.
Whereas each are creamy and tropical, a Piña Colada options rum, pineapple juice, and cream of coconut. The Bushwacker provides espresso liqueur, darkish crème de cacao, and skips the pineapple juice, leading to a extra chocolatey and coffee-forward taste.
Darkish rum is the normal selection, providing a deeper taste in comparison with lighter rums. Nonetheless, you may also aged rum (anejo) with nice outcomes. White rum works too, and has a extra simple taste.
Sure! Go for entire milk for a richer texture, or skim milk for a lighter possibility. You may as well use non-dairy milks like oat milk and almond milk, which make this drink vegan and dairy-free.
Serve your Bushwacker in a calming hurricane glass for a festive contact. Garnish with a maraschino cherry for a traditional presentation.
Description
The Bushwacker drink is sort of a mashup of a chocolate milkshake and piña colada! This boozy frozen cocktail stars Kahlua and creme de cacao.
- 2 ounces (¼ cup) aged, white or darkish rum*
- 2 ounces Kahlua
- 2 ounces creme de cacao (white or darkish; we used white)
- 2 ounces cream of coconut
- 2 ounces 2% milk
- 3 cups ice
- For the garnish: Shaved chocolate or grated nutmeg, cocktail cherry (non-obligatory)
- Add all elements to a blender and mix till clean.
- Garnish with shaved chocolate or grated nutmeg, if desired. Add straws and serve. (You may stir with the straw when the drink begins to separate.)
Notes
*We like utilizing aged rum on this drink, because it brings oak and vanilla undertones. However both white or darkish rum work as nicely.
- Class: Drink
- Technique: Blender
- Delicacies: Cocktails
- Weight loss program: Vegetarian
Key phrases: Bushwacker drink